Klopp lifts lid on Liverpool's 'most expensive non-transfer' — the Mbappe deal that never was

Jurgen Klopp has revealed the extraordinary lengths Liverpool went to in their failed pursuit of Kylian Mbappe, describing the operation as the club's 'most expensive non-transfer' in history. Speaking as a pundit for German channel Magenta TV during France's World Cup quarterfinal against Morocco, the former Liverpool manager detailed the clandestine meeting with the then-Monaco teenager and his family. 'We flew from Blackpool to Nice. In Nice, the whole Mbappe family got on board a private plane with five rooms or something. We really went big. Then we flew around in a circle, talked to the family, ate good food. We weren't allowed to be seen. It was fantastic. And then he went to Paris,' Klopp said. Paris Saint-Germain ultimately won the race in 2017, paying Monaco €180 million for the striker — first on loan before triggering the permanent transfer a year later. Mbappe spent six seasons in the French capital, lifting multiple Ligue 1 titles, before joining Real Madrid as a free agent in 2024. Mbappe has never hidden his admiration for Liverpool and Klopp. In a 2020 interview, he described the Reds as 'a machine' and praised their relentless winning rhythm. In 2022, he admitted talks had taken place with Liverpool, though he downplayed their seriousness: 'We talked to them a bit, but not much — in the end it was between Real Madrid and PSG.' With Klopp now out of the Anfield dugout, the allure of Liverpool for a player of Mbappe's caliber has diminished. Still, the seed was planted years ago — and the story of the private jet, the secret meeting, and the deal that slipped away has finally been told.